Missing Row or Column Headings in Excel

Last reviewed: November 2, 1994
Article ID: Q48141
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for OS/2 versions 2.2, 2.21, and 3.0

There is no way to disable Excel column headings only or row headings only. Either both can be disabled, or both can be enabled.

If you are missing row headings while column headings remain, an accidental split has probably occurred. To recover the missing heading, use one of the following methods.

Using a Mouse

  1. Move your mouse pointer to the left of the left-pointing arrow on the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the document window.

  2. Press and hold down your mouse button, then move the mouse to the left a few inches. Release the mouse button.

  3. If the row headings reappear, the document window has been accidentally split into two parts --- a very narrow one on the left (which is too narrow to display the row headings) and a wide one on the right. The pair of vertical lines on the left edge extending the length of the document window are used to indicate where the split is located.

Using the Keyboard

  1. Press ALT+HYPEHN to access the active document's Control menu.

  2. At the bottom of this menu is the Split command. Press "T" to enter split mode. The split indicator (a circle with arrows pointing in each "cardinal" direction) will appear.

  3. You should see two gray bars centering on the split indicator: one horizontal, the other vertical. Use the arrow keys, or the HOME key, to move the indicator to the upper-left corner of the document window, and press ENTER.

If the document window was accidentally split along the column or row headings, the headings should now appear normal.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel Reference Guide," version 2.x, pages 212-217

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide," version 3.0, pages 217-291


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Additional words: 5.00 2.00 2.0 2.01 2.10 2.1 2.21 3.00 3.0 turn
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Last reviewed: November 2, 1994
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